Two and a Mic - The Social Podcast

di Zak

Stagione 6

From helping displaced children in Syria learn to running a techno music festival in Germany – A humbling journey!

This episode has been a long time in the waiting. Time is ever a complication when people are driven to using time as effectively and completely as possible. Iyad is a walking real-life story book. He has any number of tales to tell and he has a passion for living new stories within each of the projects he undertakes. In this episode we talk about how under the umbrella of UNICEF he sought to help displaced children learn, a passion for teaching that he brought with him to Germany and then how he helped to create a Techno Music Festival called Blade that provided a safe space for women and LGBTQIA+ to enjoy music and to express themselves. Thank you Iyad for finding the time to speak with me. This is TwoandaMic RiseUp and Be Curious

S6 · E293

20 lug 2026

44:43

Racism to the north, xenophobia to the south, yet the dream of Pan-Africanism remains strong!

What is Afrophobia and why has it arisen on the continent of Africa? And in South Africa to be precise. In this podcast Ademola and Adeleke join me to talk about the phenomenon of Afrophobia and how it needs to be overcome for the dream of Pan-Africanism to bear fruit and unite the continent in the face of foreign onslaught. Thank you both for joining me. This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe The only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

S6 · E292

12 lug 2026

54:47

Poetry - Character of the Happy Warrior by William Wordsworth (including an intro by TwoandaMic)

Wordsworth, with all the meaning and depth that is so common in all of his poems, lays out for us a blueprint for the kind of character we should look for in the provision of political leadership. He may have written this poem as an ode to Lord Nelson, but we can take from it much more. Wordsworth’s happy warrior need not only be happy as a warrior, but also as a politician, a leader, a MP or a PM. When considering the challenges that lie ahead and how grossly recent leaders have failed us in the challenges their ineptitude has created, we would do well to start employing happy politicians with the character Wordsworth outlines here. This is TwoandaMic. Rise Up and be curious Episode art is taken from: Henry_William_Pickersgill_-_Portrait_of_William_Wordsworth_(1770-1850)_British_Poet_Painting_by_Henry_Willia_-_(MeisterDrucke-1011374).jpg (896×1260) This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe The only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

S6 · E291

2 lug 2026

13:10

The Enemy Within – How Anna approached her fight with Cancer and lived to tell the tale.

Anna is a power to behold on a basketball court. When she first joined the team a few weeks ago, she had never really played much basketball, just a bit of streetball here and there, she had had no structured basketball training and was essentially, as she called herself, a newbie. The huge steps she took in the first few weeks were amazing. Good footwork, a presence in the zone and aware of other people on the court. So when I found out that Anna had recently recovered from cancer I was amazed. Anna is in her mid-20s. She is strong, energetic, positive and determined. She always carries a smile and generously shares it with everyone. Anna joins me to talk about this episode in her life, and I thank her kindly for taking the time to do so. Stay well Anna and play ball of course. This is TwoandaMic! Rise up and be curious… There are on occasion software phantoms at play that try to throw us off track but we persevered. I hope you will do so too. Here is a link to Anna's Instagram account which charts her journey through fighting cancer: Instagram This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe The only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

S6 · E290

15 giu 2026

49:17

The TwoandaMic Book Club - Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism and other arguments for economic independence by Professor Kristen R. Ghodsee

This is a book that at its heart focuses on the relationship between political systems, gender equality and female liberty in a number of different ways and situations. The book is written by Professor Kristen R. Ghodsee who specialises in Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. It is in many ways eye-opening and in others it simply lays out the truth for all to see, injustice is rife and gender inequality is one of the main reasons for the continuation of that injustice. Let us recognise these truths and push for a direction change. Gender equality is the key to solving many of humanity’s problems. The question remains, do we really want to solve them or is politics simply a show that pretends it wants to get things done? Thank you Greg for your time and analysis. This is TwoandaMic. Rise up and be curious! PS. I deliberately left in the chaos at the beginning just so you know we are not always as organised as we may seem. Episode Art of the original book cover was taken from: https://www.safespacebookstore.com/why-women-have-better-sex-under-socialism-ghodsee/ This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe The only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

S6 · E289

7 giu 2026

40:15

Poetry - ‘til the Peacekeepers Came to Knife Freedom in the Back by TwoandaMic

Political persuasion is sometimes the result of chance. A single event, an opinion of someone we care for and think we respect, a man wearing a suit on TV looking all successful and powerful, can change a pathway of thought at a stroke. And with a system geared towards monopolising those strokes, can we be truly surprised at how democracy withdrew in the corner likened a frightened child hoping its evil parents would ignore her? In this poem, I write ‘peacekeepers’ for two reasons. Firstly, because I don’t want people to see police and consider them enemies of the people. Society needs a police force that protects the peace, that defends the innocent and which fights CRIME. What we do NOT need is a politicised force of thugs who feel they can beat innocent citizens and protestors because power is being challenged. Secondly because a functioning democracy should require peacekeepers rather than armed police running around behaving like cowboys. Police should not be involved in peaceful protests. Peaceful protests are a part of a functioning democracy and performing our democratic rights doesn’t need to be policed. We don’t need police at polling stations either. We need to remember where power lies. It isn’t in a baton, and it isn’t in an officer’s pistol. It is in our determination to protect our universal human rights and to see them protected for others too. As Michael Connolly wrote, “we all count or nobody counts.” This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe Episode art is taken from Microsoft Stock Images. The only AI content in this episode is in the transcript. Every word, audio editing mistake and miscellaneous error is mine.

S6 · E288

31 mag 2026

12:01

Greek Genocide Day of Remembrance - Remember and Never Forget...

On the sad day of remembrance of the Greek Genocide, I read an excerpt from a radio address made by Dr Lovejoy in 1923. Dr Lovejoy was an American physician and witnessed the events at Smyrna in September 1922 at first hand. Over a hundred years have passed since these horrific days, a number of genocides have taken place since then as well. Some continue to occur today. The term “neutrality” to which Dr Lovejoy refers here has different terms today. Those who were neutral then are complicit today. My condolences to the Greek people on this day of remembrance. NOTE: I have omitted some sentences from the final paragraph in which Dr Lovejoy profusely complimented Mustafa Kemal as a great general. I could not in all conscience repeat those lines. Nobody can be called great who brought so much pain and misery to so many people. Without knowing the background to those words I can only imagine they were spoken for very good reasons and none of those reasons were born of any admiration Dr Lovejoy had for the killer Mustafa Kemal. This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe

S6 · E287

19 mag 2026

19:33

Dr Boshart - "People don’t want to challenge structures, and I think that structure is failing." How Healthcare in Canada is failing First Nations communities

Dr Boshart is a doctor educated in what she describes as modern western medicine and in the traditional ways of the First Nations. Her dedication to her patients in unique. She takes her duty of care very seriously and the Hippocratic Oath is not simply a formality but a code by which she lives and breathes. In this episode Dr Boshart talks about some of the challenges she has faced, the structural efforts in place that make her more than suspicious as to the reasons behind them and she is very clear, the system is killing indigenous people to this very day. Thank you Dr Boshart for you time and your dedication. This is TwoandaMic Rise up and be curious This podcast is maintained with the efforts of my guests' participation and as much free time as I can dedicate to it. I would appreciate it greatly if you could help spread the word and bring a few more people to the channel. Thanks in advance. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe PS. I have only used AI to create the transcript. Everything else is done by humans. I proudly claim all technical errors for my self.

S6 · E286

17 mag 2026

1:01:51

Merging Businesses and Cultures, Gender Equality Legislation in the EU and AI is a Salad Full of Challenges

Helga joins me from Milan to talk about her extensive experiences as a Talent Acquisitions Head in creating culture and structures where none exists, or merging them where they collide in a business context. So much easier to say than to do. Yet when adding gender equality into the mix and the age-old misogyny and patriarchal pushbacks often let slide as micro-aggressions, how women navigate these slippery landscapes is no easy feat. Does the EU’s new approach to pay transparency and fairness signify a major shift to come? This episode is so packed full of content I can feel the weight of the laptop digging into my muscle. Thank you Helga for your time and insight, it is always a pleasure. This is TwoandaMic! I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe Only the transcript has been produced by AI. All other screw-ups I have proudly achieved myself.

S6 · E285

7 mag 2026

51:47

NGOs are the fundamental societal adhesive that channels our hope on our behalf. We simply cannot risk losing them...

The world around us is being changed by human enterprise and direct human influence, yet our activities often ignore significant collateral damage. Much of that damage is unacceptable yet only NGOs line up every day to address the rights of those communities to try to bring comfort and assistance where they can. Not all of the work being done is as effective as the NGOs would like it to be nor does it address the needs the recipients of the projects highlight themselves. In an attempt to better understand the gap between need and delivery, recipient and NGO, Saroj, Yiuriu and Silke created a questionnaire for both groups to try to understand how to bridge the divide. This episode brings together a panel of NGO employees to talk about their experiences and to discuss the responses of phase 1 of the questionnaire. We very much hope that more and more people will respond to the questionnaire so that we can have a phase 2 analysis which is even more complete and with which we can directly approach relevant NGOs and related actors with a realistic hope of filling the gap. My thanks to Jessica, Maikel and Manuela and of course Saroj for taking the time to speak with me. I welcome opinions of every kind so please come and find me on social media at: Instagram: TwoandaMic Twitter: TwoandaMic1 TikTok: Twoandamic2 Should I really have to ask? 😉 If you like the developing story of this social journey unfurling in my series of podcasts, feel more than free, feel partially responsible for spreading the word by subscribing and sharing and where possible, liking. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you! Oh, and if there is a possibility to do some rating, that would be nice as well. Thank you. PS. The transcript has been generated automatically and does not always reflect what has been said with 100% accuracy. I hope however that it will still provide some clarity on the content...! #RiseUp #BeCurious #StaySafe NB: Only the transcript was created by AI. All other efforts in creating this podcast were done the traditional way.

S6 · E284

28 apr 2026

1:54:42

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